Impersonal Participles: Perfect Tense — Turkish Grammar

The perfect tense impersonal participle transforms a verb into an adjective. It describes a noun that has completed the action of the verb. This is similar to using a relative clause in English, such as "the man who has arrived" or "the written letter".

It contrasts with the present tense participle (-an/-en), which describes an ongoing action.

gelen misafir
the guest who is coming / the coming guest
gelmiş misafir
the guest who has come / the arrived guest

Formation

This form is created by taking the verb stem and adding a suffix according to 4-way vowel harmony.

If the last vowel of the stem is e or i, add -miş.

gelmek → gelmiş
(one that has) come
bitirmek → bitirmiş
(one that has) finished

If the last vowel of the stem is a or ı, add -mış.

yapmak → yapmış
(one that has) done
kırılmak → kırılmış
(one that is) broken

If the last vowel of the stem is o or u, add -muş.

okumak → okumuş
(one that has) read; educated
donmak → donmuş
(one that is) frozen

If the last vowel of the stem is ö or ü, add -müş.

görmek → görmüş
(one that has) seen
ölmek → ölmüş
(one that is) dead

How to Use It

The participle always comes directly before the noun it describes, forming a single descriptive phrase.

kurumuş yapraklar
dried leaves (leaves that have dried)
pişmiş tavuk
cooked chicken (chicken that has been cooked)
çok gezmiş bir insan
a well-traveled person (a person who has traveled a lot)

Subject vs. Object of the Action

A key aspect of the -miş participle is its role in relation to the noun.

For intransitive verbs (verbs that don't take a direct object, like sleep, go, die), the noun is the subject that performed the action.

uyumuş bebek
the baby who has slept
bayatlamış ekmek
stale bread (bread that has gone stale)

For transitive verbs (verbs that take a direct object, like write, eat, build), the noun is the object that received the action. This usage has a passive meaning.

yazılmış mektup
a written letter (a letter that has been written)
kızartılmış patates
fried potatoes (potatoes that have been fried)

Distinction from the Past Tense Verb

The -miş suffix is also used to form the inferential past tense, which functions as the main verb of a sentence. The context and sentence structure make the meaning clear.

As a participle (adjective): It modifies a noun and is part of a noun phrase.

Terk edilmiş bir ev bulduk.
We found an abandoned house.

As a main verb: It is the main action of the sentence, often implying the speaker heard about it or inferred it.

Aile evi terk etmiş.
The family has (apparently) abandoned the house.

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